How Many of You Guys Use Multiple Uppers for a Single Lower?

omegared24 · Feb 23, 2020

Sirex said:
I have 4 uppers for my one lower. Looking to get more. I love the versatility of the AR. I have the standard 5.56 Hbar it came with, a 6.5 Grendel, 7.62x39, and .22lr upper. Looking to get a 9mm upper soon, maybe a 410.

I'm the same way. I'll keep building different uppers and just swapping them as needed. I even use the same BCG where I can. Thats the great thing about the AR. It allows that versatility.

I'll be the first to admit that the set up isn't ideal but it gives me a chance to tinker a bit. Keeps me on my toes even though I haven't had any real issues.

outrider58 · Feb 23, 2020

GolfR said:
I’ve got a lot more uppers than lowers. Mostly because Im a trigger snob and refuse to build a lower that doesnt have a ridiculously expense trigger in it. I have two completion uppers that get swapped on the same lower since it’s tuned to run low mass. I have a lower setup to run all my 9mm uppers and the rest are universal. Where you can get into problems with swapping uppers is loads like subsonic 300 blk without a suppressor because you have to have the recoil system lightened up to run them well. You of course have to be sure not to throw a short barrel on without swapping the stock for a brace too.

This is exactly the reason I build complete rifles. I see a need for a certain gun and proceed building it in consideration to its original intent/need. The trigger is one of my first considerations. Swapping out uppers and lowers, to me, waters down the effectiveness of that original intent. :shrug:

lazarus · Feb 23, 2020

I think I have as many uppers as lowers, but a few of my lowers aren’t built. So yeah, uppers share a lower. Some day I’ll build the lowers, but when an upper swap is about 5 seconds away, just haven’t bothered to invest the time and money. I’ve got more than one lower built that can play host. So, some day.

lazarus · Feb 23, 2020

outrider58 said:
This is exactly the reason I build complete rifles. I see a need for a certain gun and proceed building it in consideration to its original intent/need. The trigger is one of my first considerations. Swapping out uppers and lowers, to me, waters down the effectiveness of that original intent.

Absolutely. But I’ve built enough rifles and then improved them I get parts laying around and see some deal and snap it up...and then I end up one part away from a new upper, so, why not?

That’s how I ended up with my 24” 6.5 Grendel upper. I know not the best, but buying something else from BCA and they had free shipping and saw the barrel was on clearance for like $60.

So I figured, why not? Turns out with just the two loads I’ve tried it’ll shoot MOA with hornady 123gr BTHP and actually manages about 2.5MOA with wolf steel. So I am super happy with it. Total invested in the upper is about $100 because of some parts left over laying around. I do need an optic for it at some point.

My 18” hunting upper in 6.5 Grendel is 6MOA or worse with wolf steel :-(

Though it is about 3/4 MOA with federal fusion and right on 1MOA with the hornady loads I’ve tried. That upper had been only $250 including BCG (the 24” shares BCGs for now). Now I am up to about $500 including optic and rings and a lighter weight handguard I found on stupid cheap sale.

marko · Feb 23, 2020

I have more Lowers than uppers, all pre- 3013. That's why.

calicojack · Feb 23, 2020

marko said:
I have more Lowers than uppers, all pre- 3013. That's why.

I got 3 pre-ban lowers; should have bought 5 or more. :sad20:

GuitarmanNick · Feb 24, 2020

Each build done as a complete weapon.

jjjefferson · Feb 26, 2020

It depends on use

I have multiple uppers for my precision lowers. The rest get their own.

For my 24" bull barrel 5.56 , 20" 6.5 Grendel, 22" 6.5 Creedmoor and 24" 308 I have setup a single 15 and 308 lower for them.

Each lower has:
JP Enterprises Silent Captured Spring
Giessele SSA-E two-stage trigger
Magpul PRS-3 adjustable stock

Hell, I put a QD mounts on my 2 best scopes to swap between them :-P

(kitting up all of them as stand alone would be a bit pricey)

JJ

CrazySanMan · Feb 26, 2020

I currently have a 556 upper and a 50 Beowulf upper that I swap a lower in and out for, but that's only because I'm too lazy to build another lower. I've got the parts, just haven't done it yet.

DutchV · Feb 26, 2020

I prefer complete guns. That way one can be a loaner. And if one breaks, I want another rifle handy. What if it's something in the lower that breaks? Then you've got two uppers and a broken lower. That's no good. I'll suffer with cheap triggers if I have to.

mdbassplayer · Feb 26, 2020

I started off trying the multiple uppers one lower thing and like most everyone else here have figured out that I prefer to have complete rifles with a trigger/stock/buffer combination that is specific to the use of the rifle as a whole.

I have also found some triggers are more reliable than others with non mil-spec uppers. Have an older Elftmann Match trigger that wasn't 100% reliable with my .22 conversion upper and was a complete failure (wouldn't reset even a quarter of the time) with my side charging .300BLK upper. So everything needs to work together for me to feel comfortable with trusting a rifle. My CMC and my Geissele have worked in everything I have used them with though.

erwos · Feb 26, 2020

I used to not do this, but it's become a thing for me lately. I just do not have room in my safe for more rifles, so something had to give.

ralph.mclean · Feb 26, 2020

I have done it in the past, but since I build my own guns, generally they all end up whole eventually...

omegared24 · Feb 26, 2020

Speaking of uppers...if anyone has a dedicated 22LR upper they are looking to get rid of let me know. More concerned with a viable barrel and bolt. Won't care if the rest is banged up.

Another reason I like swapping uppers is they take up less space in the gun case.

Dippah · Feb 26, 2020

I don’t follow this logic. Is your main rifle what you’re switching back and forth on? Mine are dedicated for their purpose.

omegared24 · Feb 26, 2020

Dippah said:
I don’t follow this logic. Is your main rifle what you’re switching back and forth on? Mine are dedicated for their purpose.

What's to follow? You're headed to the range and want to shoot multiple calibers. Bring one rifle and a couple of uppers.

As stated, you want a defensive rifle to have a dedicated set up so you know it is reliable and runs properly.

As for range toys...no harm or foul swapping uppers on that.

rockstarr · Feb 26, 2020

IX-3 said:
I just don’t see the point when I can spend another $250 on a lower, lpk, buffer kit, and stock and have a complete gun.

i think this is why the price on uppers stays so high. lots of folks doing this, especially on preban lowers. Not to mention the lack of a waiting period and all the bs of the dog and pony show.

photoracer · Feb 26, 2020

I have 2 uppers for my 9mm PCC one for Steel Challenge and one for USPSA. I have 2 upper for my precision LR AR, one an A2 6.8 SPC II and one in 6.5 Grendel. My 2 different 3-Gun uppers now have their own lowers although I prefer my original lower on both.

JWB13 · Feb 26, 2020

I have two uppers 556/762x39 and one lower. Just use at the range. Maybe go to NC and hog hunt. They run just fine.

WildWeasel · Feb 26, 2020

Dippah said:
I don’t follow this logic. Is your main rifle what you’re switching back and forth on? Mine are dedicated for their purpose.

Economics. As an example, I keep 2 556 rifles ready to roll, but if I am going to the range or do certain types of hunting where it would perform better or simply is legal with it, I'll slap the 300 blk on a receiver for that outing. Once I'm back, the 300 comes off and 556 back on. I can only use 1 rifle at a time anyway, and my lowers are probably $400 or more each. Sure I could get a full PSA etc, lower for $150ish but I'd still dump another $250 into it for a trigger and nice stock. Someday maybe I'll have 3, or 12 full rifles and pistols. But not yet.

How Many of You Guys Use Multiple Uppers for a Single Lower?

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